Author: jeason74

So I know that I have not done a post for awhile. I have had some changes in my life. One of them was needing to look for a new place to live and get moved in less than 30 days. We were able to do that but it did take up a lot of the time I was using for learning to code. Since the move has been complete I have been back at the grindstone.

I was told about a site called lynda.com by Linkedin. They offer so many different learning paths, from computer coding to business classes. If you have a library card and your library is a partner site you can log in with your library card and get access to the full site without having to pay the monthly fee. I have been working on the Full Stack Web Developer course. So far I have completed 2 of the basic courses as well as the HTML course. After each course you can add the certification to your Linkedin account. Overall I have enjoyed the site and it is very easy to use.

The HTML course was my first real attempt at coding. Learning the syntax and where it needed to be in the site was a challenge. Several times I worked through the challenges only to have it not work. Then I had to start going back through each line trying to figure it out only to be thwarted by an angle bracket or a semicolon that was missing or in the wrong place. I know that I will get better in time and that as I continue to learn the work will become easier for me. But several times I had to wonder, after staring at the screen for 30 mins, if I was cut out for this. After talking to a few of my friends that are in the business I realized that making mistakes is just part of the learning process and comes with the job and I should not let it sway me. Not giving up is the key to success.

Well time to get back at it. I am hope you all are enjoying my blog and I welcome any feedback or suggestions. Networking is a big part of the process and I welcome the chance to network with all of you.

So it has been a bit since my first post, lots of things going on in my life has slowed things down a bit. Between changing jobs and having to move to a new place quickly, the learning process has been slowed down a bit.

After my last post I sat down and started looking at all of the different coding languages to see what was out there and where I might start. After looking at so many web pages and listening to other people I decided to take a stab at learning SQL. Now I know what some people are asking, “What is SQL?”. I thought the same thing. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. This is a language that is used in databases to sort and find data. You would be very hard pressed to find a place that does not use this language.

I decided to learn SQL using a class from Stackskills.com called Learn Fundamental SQL. I had to download the Microsoft SQL Server 2016 and the SQL Management Studio before I could do anything. That process took about 2 hours, so don’t be in a rush. Start the download and grab a chimichanga or something.

I am only 4 classes into the course and so far it is not as bad as I had imagined it could be. There has been a few times when I had errors in the coding or getting the table to import. But taking my time and going back over what I had done so far allowed me to find what I had done wrong and fix it.

Well that’s it for now. I will be back soon with another update on where I am in SQL.

Just like the start of a new video game, there was a bit of apprehension as I talked to my wife about switching careers. Now most people would not think that to be a big deal, but the kicker is I am almost 40. I am not talking like almost when you think 35 is “almost” 40. I mean just a hair over one month, looking down the barrel of 40.

I went to college and got my B.S. in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on counter-terrorism. I loved my classes but I was an older student and my advisor failed to mention that at my age it would be hard to find a job with the government due to the mandatory retirement ages. All was not lost. I took what I learned and got a job as a communications officer with Lexington 911. The job was not bad, but I was working 12-16 hour days. Being a newlywed, it was a strain on my marriage. After several years, I had reached a point where I needed a change and wanted to do something that would allow me to spend more time with my wife; so I took a job in the insurance world. The hours are good but I still felt that I could be doing more. I have a good friend, Nick, that has been coding for years and I talked to him about it. The more we talked, the more I felt that coding might also be a good fit for me.

So, I talked it over with my wife and she agreed that this could be a good career for me. Now, I have zero experience when it comes to programming; so I have done some research and started learning to code at Treehouse.com. This will be my story, my place to share my experience. The joys and pitfalls and everything in between.

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